Tag: software inventory

Some organizations tolerate siloed elements of infrastructure management if they can see that individual silos are performing well. So the additional benefits that could accrue from creating connections are sacrificed to avoid disturbing the smooth running operations in each silo. Breaching or tearing down the silo walls will only happen with leadership, from someone not … Continue reading An IT Asset Ecosystem: customer vision

Software Inventory – still a core requirement Until recently, optimizing software licensing and maintenance costs started with collection of a robust inventory of application installations across the network. Configuration lockdown provided some safeguard against individuals using their company credit card to download their preferred applications but is hard to administer except perhaps as a by-product … Continue reading Cloud services and software asset management

Quantifying IT resource needs Many organizations deal with the challenge of software license provision by over-purchasing relative to need. Many organizations have poor visibility of how many licenses are needed for any given application, and in some cases simply purchase a copy for every user in Active Directory. In considering the amount of money that … Continue reading IT Asset Management – a matter of Governance?

Software Distribution Software Distribution is one of those unglamorous but utterly essential items in the SysAdmin’s toolbox. It’s never talked about unless it screws up. We visited one of our larger UK customers recently, where Asset Manager Pro has been teamed up with the Software Distribution module. It was a little after half-way through November, … Continue reading Software distribution keeps the lights on

Software License Compliance – a risk not worth taking? In a recent press release on the Business Software Alliance’s Web site, the BSA’s UK-based Michala Wardell reminds anyone listening that not paying attention to compliance can results in penal costs that far outstrip the nominal cost of the software in question. The offending Scotland based organization … Continue reading License Compliance not going away as significant risk issue

Software Asset Management: fundamentals for compliance Many organizations are grappling with the twin problems of adequately identifying the software they have installed, and correctly interpreting the usage entitlements defined in the pages and pages of software licenses they hold. New laptops and netbooks will often come pre-loaded with suites of utilities – some of them … Continue reading Pirated software: are you sure you are in the clear?

Software License Management for Compliance Organizations which have successfully tackled the challenges of accurate software inventory often turn their attentions to getting to grips with the wide range of license documents they hold. For compliance, the fundamental question at any point in time is – “Have we got enough documented entitlement to cover the number … Continue reading License Management: Static Recording is not enough

‘Software Development Times’ is not a journal I normally read, but I was fortunate to be alerted to this article which provides more useful contribution to the debate and increasing awareness of the pressures for licensing options from software vendors. The article contains some useful information from IDC’s Amy Konary (follow her on Twitter at @mizkonary) about specific instances of the financial impact for organizations moving … Continue reading The drive for software licensing flexibility

I’ve been exploring a very informative article on IT Audit techniques by Robert E Davis. It dives into a level of sophistication around the choices of testing methodologies that I am naive in, so kept me occupied for more than the regulation one mug of coffee per blog read. It also gave me a link … Continue reading Software License Compliance – is it part of IT GRC?

Just a quick note to encourage anyone who has had an unfortunate experience with a software license compliance audit in the last two years to complete the online survey posted by Forrester. They promise to share their results, which will include measures taken to deal with out-of-compliance situations. I hope they’ll make it available to a larger … Continue reading Forrester Survey on Software License Audits